Tuesday 26 November 2024
Divine Love-What is It?
by Rev Dan Joseph
Love is one thing we humans crave the most since the fall of Adam and Eve. It’s something we all need, desire and want, but at the same time, love is something we find most difficult to give or share because it is one gift in life most difficult to understand. Whenever love is mentioned, the discussion tends to focus on self, yet love is that potential in us we must give. True love is for others and not for self. When people (humans) talk about love it sounds like this:”Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.” (Song of Solomon 8:6). Human (Carnal) love.
God makes love an action word (a verb), that means, from the giver of love to the recipient of love, like this: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Here we can contrast divine love with carnal love. Divine love expresses God’s will and purpose for mankind while carnal love deals with the desires of the heart, and for the heart, and offers nothing more than that to another being. The four types of love recognized in the Bible are: storge-empathy love: philia-friends love: eros-romantic love (self-centered love and the devil uses it to destroy the human soul): Agape-the unconditional love, God’s type of love. This is how the Bible defines agape love (1 Cor. 13:4), “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude; it does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” From this explanation, I like you to be honest with yourself. If you were tested for these qualities, would you pass the test? If you would, at what percentage? Would it be 100%? Anything short of 100%, needs confession and a rebirth or transformation.
Divine love is true of Jesus Christ in the Scripture, who was sufficiently moved by love to die for the salvation of mankind. Divine love has a purpose, a target, a subject and a source (i.e transitive; unrestrictive and all inclusive). His love could not be hidden; therefore, the Father proved his love for Christ, and for mankind by raising Christ from the grave.
Just take a look at these: Through LOVE – God gave us Jesus; an invaluable gift of love (John 3:16). Through LOVE, Jesus died for us (Rom.5:8), an act no flesh can perform to favor any of God’s creation. Through LOVE, God raised Him from the grave; He became the first among the living to die no more (Rom.6:9). Through LOVE – God highly exalted His Son, Jesus, and gave Him a name above all names (Phil. 2:9).
What a wonderful thing! I pray that the love of God will be available to all our people, worldwide. I pray that God’s love will be sufficient for you especially, throughout this month. May your days this month be peaceful. I pray the Lord will bless you and bless you indeed and may He also expand your coast and move you to higher heights this month, and this year, in the name of Jesus. Note: God gave you love to share, not to hoard but to give out so you can receive more. Give love and receive love. The Lord be with you. Amen.
Please pray these prayer points:
God’s power of love, locate me now, and let me love like Jesus, IJN
Spirit of love, take control of my thoughts, words and deeds now, IJN
Power of God, give me the grace to love Jesus with all my heart, soul and might, IJN
I pray for you: Father, thank you for loving Your people unconditionally. Please Lord, help them to love you with all their hearts, minds, souls and might. Help them, Lord, to also love everybody around them as they love themselves so that Your name be glorified in their obedience, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
May the God whose love is mighty and without limits continue to love and favour you and your family everyday unto eternity, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Please share the word. God bless you always. It’s me, Daniel-Joseph, your prayer partner. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
Today’s reading: Psalm 57-59; Romans 4
Join me to worship the Lord at the Light Tabernacle.
Call: 613-710-8912
Rev Daniel Joseph, Dip Ed, BSc. Ed, B. Ed, M. Ed is an educator/teacher of science on the high school panel of the local board of education in the Ottawa-Carleton region. He’s a psychology of learning specialist. A scholar, always learning, a writer, teacher and trainer, adviser board of directors and pastor of the Light of the Nations ministry international, a non-denominational ministry with its headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.